Oven appliance having a restrictor plate to prevent contact

ABSTRACT

An oven appliance may include a cabinet, a door, and a restrictor plate. The cabinet may include a top panel and a bottom panel. The cabinet may define a cooking chamber between the top panel and the bottom panel. The door may be mounted on the cabinet to selectively restrict access to the cooking chamber in a closed position. The restrictor plate may be mounted to the cabinet apart from the door below the bottom panel.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present subject matter relates generally to oven appliances, and more particularly to restrictor plates to prevent contact with at least a portion of an oven appliance.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Cooking appliances generally define one or more enclosures supporting one or more heating elements. For instance, oven appliances can include a cabinet defining an insulated cooking chamber therein for receipt of food items for cooking. A cooktop having heating elements may be positioned at a top portion of the cabinet for, as an example, grilling, boiling, or frying food items thereon. Other heating elements, such as a bake heating element or broil heating element may be positioned within the cooking chamber to provide heat to food items located therein. The bake heating element is positioned at a bottom of the cooking chamber. The broil heating element positioned at a top of the cooking chamber. One or more electronic components may be housed within the cabinet outside of the cooking chamber.

In general, it can be desirable to limit a user's ability to contact or engage certain areas of an oven appliance. For instance, it may be useful to block or cover certain portions of a cabinet that might become hot during use. Recently, certain government or trade group standards having even incorporated requirements that accessible portions of an oven cabinet being maintained below one or more temperature thresholds during use. One such requirement is included in the updated UL858 standard (as is intended to take effect in March 2022), which adopts temperature thresholds for the increase in temperature for surfaces below 31 inches in gaps that are accessible by a specified access probe—such surfaces may be required to be measured by an International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)-compliant temperature probe. For instance, a temperature threshold for bare or painted metal is 33° Celsius, hence the metal may be required to stay at or below is 58° Celsius in a 25° Celsius ambient environment.

In spite of the desirability to limit access or temperature to certain portions of an oven appliance, ensuring this can be difficult or expensive. For instance, simply adding insulating material to portions of the cabinet that are near the surface can significantly add to the cost or size of the oven appliance. Covering other portions of the oven appliance (e.g., near the opening to a cooking chamber) may interfere with necessary airflow, such that might be required into the cooking chamber or through the door.

As a result, further improvements to oven appliances are needed. In particular, it may be advantageous to provide an oven appliance including one or more features for restricting access to certain portions of the cooking appliance (e.g., without interfering with operation, increasing the appliance footprint, or significantly raising assembly costs or complexity).

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Aspects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in part in the following description, or may be obvious from the description, or may be learned through practice of the invention.

In one exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, an oven appliance is provided. The oven appliance may include a cabinet, a door, and a restrictor plate. The cabinet may include a top panel and a bottom panel. The cabinet may define a cooking chamber between the top panel and the bottom panel. The door may be mounted on the cabinet to selectively restrict access to the cooking chamber in a closed position. The restrictor plate may be mounted to the cabinet apart from the door below the bottom panel.

In another exemplary aspect of the present disclosure, an oven appliance is provided. The cabinet may include a top panel and a bottom panel. The cabinet may define a cooking chamber between the top panel and the bottom panel. The door may be mounted on the cabinet to selectively restrict access to the cooking chamber in a closed position. The restrictor plate may be mounted to the cabinet below the door. The restrictor plate may include a blocking panel and a bend bottom rim. The blocking panel may extend downward below the bottom panel. The bent bottom rim may extend along the transverse direction from the blocking panel below the bottom panel.

These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become better understood with reference to the following description and appended claims. The accompanying drawings, which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this specification, illustrate embodiments of the invention and, together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A full and enabling disclosure of the present invention, including the best mode thereof, directed to one of ordinary skill in the art, is set forth in the specification, which makes reference to the appended figures.

FIG. 1 provides a front elevation view of an oven appliance according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 2 provides a perspective view of a bottom portion of an oven appliance according to exemplary embodiments of the present disclosure.

FIG. 3 provides a perspective view of a bottom portion of the exemplary oven appliance of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 provides another perspective view of a bottom portion of the exemplary oven appliance of FIG. 2, wherein the bottom door has been removed for clarity.

FIG. 5 provides another perspective view of a bottom portion of the exemplary oven appliance of FIG. 2.

FIG. 6 provides a perspective view of the restrictor plate, in isolation, of the exemplary oven appliance of FIG. 2.

FIG. 7 provides a side elevation view of the restrictor plate, in isolation, of the exemplary oven appliance of FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Reference now will be made in detail to embodiments of the invention, one or more examples of which are illustrated in the drawings. Each example is provided by way of explanation of the invention, not limitation of the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the scope of the invention. For instance, features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment can be used with another embodiment to yield a still further embodiment. Thus, it is intended that the present invention covers such modifications and variations as come within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

As used herein, the term “or” is generally intended to be inclusive (i.e., “A or B” is intended to mean “A or B or both”). The terms “first,” “second,” and “third” may be used interchangeably to distinguish one component from another and are not intended to signify location or importance of the individual components. The terms “upstream” and “downstream” refer to the relative flow direction with respect to fluid flow in a fluid pathway. For example, “upstream” refers to the flow direction from which the fluid flows, and “downstream” refers to the flow direction to which the fluid flows. Terms such as “inner” and “outer” refer to relative directions with respect to the interior and exterior of the oven appliance, and in particular the oven chamber(s) defined therein. For example, “inner” or “inward” refers to the direction towards the interior of the oven appliance. Terms such as “left,” “right,” “front,” “back,” “top,” or “bottom” are used with reference to the perspective of a user accessing the oven appliance (e.g., when the door is in the closed position). For example, a user stands in front of the oven appliance to open a door and reaches into the cooking chamber(s) to access items therein.

Referring now to the drawings, FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary embodiment of a double oven appliance 10 according to the present disclosure.

Although aspects of the present subject matter are described herein in the context of a double oven appliance 100, it should be appreciated that oven appliance 100 is provided by way of example only. Other oven or range appliances having different configurations, different appearances, or different features may also be utilized with the present subject matter as well (e.g., single ovens, electric cooktop ovens, induction cooktops ovens, etc.).

Generally, oven appliance 100 has a cabinet 101 that defines a vertical direction V, a longitudinal direction L and a transverse direction T. The vertical, longitudinal and transverse directions are mutually perpendicular and form an orthogonal direction system. Cabinet 101 includes multiple panels that enclose one or more insulated cooking chambers 122, 142. For example, cabinet 101 includes a top panel 128 and a bottom panel 130 that are spaced apart along the vertical direction V. Left panel 132 and right panel 134 (as defined according to the view as shown in FIG. 1) extend between top panel 128 and bottom panel 130 and are spaced apart along the lateral direction L. A front panel 126 may additionally extend between top panel 128 and bottom panel 130 as well as between left panel 132 and right panel 134. As will be described in greater detail below, a restrictor plate 200 may be mounted to cabinet 101 (e.g., proximal to or below bottom panel 130) to generally block or restrict access to at least a portion of cabinet 101.

In the included figures, panels 126, 128, 130, 132, 134 of cabinet 101 are single ply sheet metal panels, but one skilled in the art will appreciate that any suitably rigid panel may be used while remaining within the scope of the present subject matter. For example, according to exemplary embodiments, panels 126, 128, 130, 132, 134 may be constructed from a suitably rigid and thermally resistant plastic. Additionally or alternatively, each panel 126, 128, 130, 132, 134 may include multiple layers made from the same or different materials, and may be formed in any suitable shape.

In optional embodiments, one or more stabilizer feet 150 are mounted to cabinet 101. For instance, multiple stabilizer feet 150 may extend from bottom panel 130 (e.g., at each corner of cabinet 101) to support oven appliance 100. Generally, stabilizer feet 150 may elevate cabinet 101 above a support surface (e.g., the ground or floor) on which oven appliance 100 is placed. As would be understood, stabilizer feet 150 may be movable (e.g., slidable) along the vertical direction V relative to cabinet 101 to adjust the height or tilt of cabinet 101 on the support surface.

Double oven appliance 100 includes an upper oven 120 and a lower oven 140 positioned below upper oven 120 along the vertical direction V. Upper and lower ovens 120 and 140 include cooking chambers 122 and 142, respectively, configured for the receipt of one or more food items to be cooked. Double oven appliance 100 includes an upper door 124 and a lower door 144 in order to permit selective access to cooking chambers 122 and 142, respectively. Handles 102 are mounted to upper and lower doors 124 and 144 to assist a user with opening and closing doors 124 and 144 in order to access cooking chambers 122 and 142. As an example, a user can pull on handle 102 mounted to upper door 124 to open or close upper door 124 and access cooking chamber 122. Glass window panes 104 provide for viewing the contents of cooking chambers 122 and 142 when doors 124, 144 are closed and also assist with insulating cooking chambers 122 and 142. As is generally understood, heating elements, such as electric resistance heating elements, gas burners, etc., are positioned within upper and lower oven 120 and 140.

A control panel 106 of double oven appliance 100 provides selections for user manipulation of the operation of double oven appliance 100. For example, a user can touch control panel 106 to trigger one of user inputs 108. In response to user manipulation of user inputs 108, various components of the double oven appliance 100 can be operated. Control panel 106 may also include a display 112, such as a digital display, operable to display various parameters (e.g., temperature, time, cooking cycle, etc.) of the double oven appliance 100.

Generally, oven appliance 100 may include a controller 110 in operative communication (e.g., operably coupled via a wired or wireless channel) with control panel 106. Control panel 106 of oven appliance 100 may be in communication with controller 110 via, for example, one or more signal lines or shared communication busses, and signals generated in controller 110 operate oven appliance 100 in response to user input via user input devices 108. Input/Output (“I/O”) signals may be routed between controller 110 and various operational components of oven appliance 100 such that operation of oven appliance 100 can be regulated by controller 110.

Controller 110 is a “processing device” or “controller” and may be embodied as described herein. Controller 110 may include a memory and one or more microprocessors, microcontrollers, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICS), CPUs or the like, such as general or special purpose microprocessors operable to execute programming instructions or micro-control code associated with operation of oven appliance 100, and controller 110 is not restricted necessarily to a single element. The memory may represent random access memory such as DRAM, or read only memory such as ROM, electrically erasable, programmable read only memory (EEPROM), or FLASH. In one embodiment, the processor executes programming instructions stored in memory. The memory may be a separate component from the processor or may be included onboard within the processor. Alternatively, controller 110 may be constructed without using a microprocessor (e.g., using a combination of discrete analog or digital logic circuitry; such as switches, amplifiers, integrators, comparators, flip-flops, AND gates, and the like) to perform control functionality instead of relying upon software.

Turning now generally to FIGS. 2 through 7, various embodiments including restrictor plate 200 will generally be described. As described above, restrictor plate 200 may be mounted proximal to or below bottom panel 130 of cabinet 101. In certain embodiments, restrictor plate 200 is mounted between left panel 132 and right panel 134. For instance, restrictor plate 200 may be secured to both left panel 132 and right panel 134. One or more mechanical fasteners 202 (e.g., screws, bolts, clips, etc.) may hold restrictor plate 200 on cabinet 101 to remain stationary relative to the same. Restrictor plate 200 itself may be formed from any suitable, heat resistant material or metal (e.g., steel, stainless steel, or aluminum, including alloys thereof).

Generally, restrictor plate 200 includes a blocking panel 220 that extends downward from cabinet 101 (e.g., parallel or at a non-orthogonal angle relative to vertical direction V) from a top end 222 to a bottom end 224. Blocking panel 220 further extends along the lateral direction L from a first plate side 230 to a second plate side 232. When assembled a front facing surface 234 is directed outward (e.g., in the transverse direction T), away from front panel 126 while a rear facing surface 236 opposite of front facing surface 234 is directed inward (e.g., in the transverse direction T). As shown, at least a portion of restrictor plate 200, including blocking panel 220, may be disposed rearward from the doors 124, 144. In some such embodiments, all of blocking panel 220 is disposed lower than the cooking chambers 122, 142 along the vertical direction V and rearward from the doors 124, 144 along the transverse direction T.

In some embodiments, restrictor plate 200 includes one or more mounting tabs (e.g., a left side tab 238 or a right side tab 240) formed between top end 222 and bottom end 224. As shown, left side tab 238 or right side tab 240 may extend (e.g., directly) from blocking panel 220. For instance, left side tab 238 or right side tab 240 may extend along the transverse direction T (e.g., forward or rearward) from blocking panel 220. In some such embodiments, at least a portion of restrictor plate 200 is formed from a stamped metal having opposite lateral side portions of stamped metal that are bent to form left panel 132 or a right panel 134. When assembled, left side tab 238 or right side tab 240 may be disposed against cabinet 101. Specifically, left side tab 238 may be mounted to left panel 132 and right side tab 240 may be mounted to right panel 134. In turn, left side tab 238 or right side tab 240 may be in contact with cabinet 101 (e.g., an inner surface of left panel 132 or right panel 134). The one or more mechanical fasteners 202 holding restrictor plate 200 to cabinet 101 may be secured to or extend through left side tab 238 or right side tab 240.

The assembled oven appliance 100 may include restrictor plate 200 mounted to cabinet 101, as described above. Although restrictor plate 200 is mounted to cabinet 101, though, at least a portion of restrictor plate 200 (e.g., blocking panel 220) may also be spaced apart from cabinet 101. For instance, blocking panel 220 may be at least spaced apart from front panel 126 along the transverse direction T. To that end, separate from or in addition to mounting tabs, one or more panel embossings 242 may extend rearward from blocking panel 220. In particular, at least one panel embossing 242 may be formed as a convex swell drawn out from rear facing surface 236. When assembled, panel embossing 242 may be disposed on a forward surface of cabinet 101, such as front panel 126. Optionally, multiple panel embossings 242 may be spaced apart from each other along the lateral direction L. Additionally or alternatively, one or more mechanical fasteners 202 holding restrictor plate 200 to cabinet 101 may be secured to or extend through the panel embossings 242

In exemplary embodiments, restrictor plate 200 includes a bent bottom rim 244 formed at bottom end 224. As shown, bent bottom rim 244 may extend horizontally along the transverse direction T (e.g., rearward). Bent bottom rim 244 bent bottom rim 244 may end or terminate directly beneath bottom panel 130 and may be prevented from directly touching or engaging cabinet 101, generally. For instance, bottom rim 244 may extend to or define a maximum depth that is less than or equal to one inch (e.g., as measured from rearward facing surface). Additionally or alternatively, bent bottom rim 244 may be spaced apart from bottom panel 130 along the vertical direction V such that a vertical gap 250 is defined between bottom panel 130 and bent bottom rim 244. Optionally, the vertical gap 250 may be greater than or equal to 0.5 inch, 1 inch, or 1.5 inches.

In some embodiments, restrictor plate 200 may be formed from a stamped metal having a bottom portion of stamped metal that is bent to form bent bottom rim 244. Optionally, bent bottom rim 244 may extend along all or substantially all (e.g., more than 75%) of the lateral length from first plate side 230 to second plate side 232. For instance, bent bottom rim 244 may extend continuously along the lateral direction L from a first plate side 230 to a second plate side 232.

Advantageously, bent bottom rim 244 may block or prevent an access probe from reaching to bottom panel 130 (e.g., from a gap between cabinet 101 and the floor when an access probe is inserted at a non-horizontal angle toward cabinet 101).

Certain embodiments of restrictor plate 200 define one or more transverse holes 246. As shown, each transverse hole 246 may extend through, for example, blocking panel 220 along the transverse direction T. Specifically, each transverse hole 246 may extend all the way through restrictor plate 200 from front facing surface 234 to rear facing surface 236. Thus, air may be permitted to pass through the transverse holes 246. In embodiments wherein multiple transverse holes 246 are defined, one or more of the transverse holes 246 may be spaced apart from each other along the lateral direction L. Optionally, multiple vertically spaced sets of transverse holes 246A, 246B may be provided. For instance, a first plurality of transverse holes 246A may be spaced apart from each other along the lateral direction L while a second plurality of transverse holes 246B is both spaced apart from each other along the lateral direction L and spaced apart from the first plurality of transverse holes 246A along the vertical direction V.

Generally, each transverse hole 246 may be formed as any suitable shape. For instance, each transverse hole 246 may be formed according to a circular or elliptical profile through blocking panel 220. Optionally, each transverse hole 246 may define a minimum diameter or width 248 that is less than or equal to 8.6 millimeters). Additionally or alternatively, the minimum diameter or width 248 may be greater than or equal to one millimeter. Advantageously, air may be permitted through each transverse hole 246 while a UL-compliant access probe is not.

In some embodiments, restrictor plate 200 spans the lateral distance or length of the opening to cooking chamber 142. As an example, cooking chamber 142 may extend along a lateral length in the lateral direction L between a first chamber side 182 (e.g., proximal to the left side) and a second chamber side 184 (e.g., proximal to the right side). In turn, restrictor plate 200 may extend along its own lateral length to span past the lateral length of a cooking chamber 142. Thus, the first plate side 230 may be disposed outward from the first chamber side 182 (e.g., to the left thereof) and the second plate side 232 may be disposed outward from the second chamber side 184 (e.g., to the right thereof). Attempts to access bottom panel 130 from an area in front of cabinet 101 may thus be blocked by restrictor plate 200.

Advantageously, the above-described embodiments of restrictor plate 200 may prevent access to otherwise elevated-temperature surfaces without interfering with operation, increasing the appliance footprint, or significantly raising assembly costs or complexity of appliance 100.

This written description uses examples to disclose the invention, including the best mode, and also to enable any person skilled in the art to practice the invention, including making and using any devices or systems and performing any incorporated methods. The patentable scope of the invention is defined by the claims, and may include other examples that occur to those skilled in the art. Such other examples are intended to be within the scope of the claims if they include structural elements that do not differ from the literal language of the claims, or if they include equivalent structural elements with insubstantial differences from the literal languages of the claims. 

What is claimed is:
 1. A cooking appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the cooking appliance comprising: a cabinet comprising a top panel and a bottom panel, the cabinet defining a cooking chamber between the top panel and the bottom panel; a door mounted on the cabinet to selectively restrict access to the cooking chamber in a closed position; and a restrictor plate mounted to the cabinet apart from the door below the bottom panel.
 2. The cooking appliance of claim 1, further comprising a panel embossing extending rearward from the blocking panel against a front panel of the cabinet.
 3. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the cabinet further comprises a left side panel and a right side panel extending between the top panel and the bottom panel, and wherein the blocking panel is mounted to the left and right side panels.
 4. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the restrictor plate defines a transverse hole extending therethrough from a front facing surface of the restrictor plate to a rear facing surface of the restrictor plate.
 5. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the restrictor plate defines a plurality of transverse holes extending therethrough and spaced apart along the lateral direction.
 6. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the restrictor plate defines a first plurality of transverse holes extending therethrough and spaced apart along the lateral direction, and a second plurality of transverse holes extending therethrough and spaced apart along the lateral direction, the second plurality of transverse holes being spaced apart from the first plurality of transverse holes along the vertical direction.
 7. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the restrictor plate is disposed rearward from door.
 8. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the cooking chamber extends along a lateral length in the lateral direction between a first chamber side and a second chamber side, and wherein the restrictor plate spans past the lateral length along the lateral direction between the first chamber side and the second chamber side.
 9. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the bent bottom rim extends continuously along the lateral direction from a first plate side to a second plate side.
 10. The cooking appliance of claim 1, wherein the bent bottom rim defines a maximum depth less than or equal to one inch.
 11. A cooking appliance defining a vertical direction, a lateral direction, and a transverse direction, the cooking appliance comprising: a cabinet comprising a top panel and a bottom panel, the cabinet defining a cooking chamber between the top panel and the bottom panel; a door mounted on the cabinet to selectively restrict access to the cooking chamber in a closed position; and a restrictor plate mounted to the cabinet below the door, the restrictor plate comprising a blocking panel extending downward below the bottom panel, and a bent bottom rim extending along the transverse direction from the blocking panel below the bottom panel.
 12. The cooking appliance of claim 11, wherein the cabinet further comprises a left side panel and a right side panel extending between the top panel and the bottom panel, and wherein the blocking panel is mounted to the left and right side panels.
 13. The cooking appliance of claim 11, wherein the restrictor plate defines a transverse hole extending therethrough from a front facing surface of the restrictor plate to a rear facing surface of the restrictor plate.
 14. The cooking appliance of claim 11, wherein the restrictor plate defines a plurality of transverse holes extending therethrough and spaced apart along the lateral direction.
 15. The cooking appliance of claim 11, wherein the restrictor plate defines a first plurality of transverse holes extending therethrough and spaced apart along the lateral direction, and a second plurality of transverse holes extending therethrough and spaced apart along the lateral direction, the second plurality of transverse holes being spaced apart from the first plurality of transverse holes along the vertical direction.
 16. The cooking appliance of claim 11, wherein the restrictor plate is disposed rearward from door.
 17. The cooking appliance of claim 11, wherein the cooking chamber extends along a lateral length in the lateral direction between a first chamber side and a second chamber side, and wherein the restrictor plate spans past the lateral length along the lateral direction between the first chamber side and the second chamber side.
 18. The cooking appliance of claim 11, wherein the bent bottom rim defines a maximum depth less than or equal to one inch. 